Stress Less

Today's post is going to be short and sweet, because I am drowning in homework! This very fact helped me decide on today's topic: STRESS.

Stress affects our lives in so many ways. We can literally make ourselves ill from too much stress. Stress can lead to depression, anxiety, ulcers, and a number of other problems. Too often we put other priorities above our own health and happiness.

I was talking to a dear friend last night about how stressed I am to be behind in my homework. Before I knew it, I was beating myself up about not just the homework, but the fact that my room needs to be cleaned, and that I was basically behind on everything. Then my friend smiled and told me "You're fine. Don't be so hard on yourself! It's not that big of a deal."

She was completely right. We allow ourselves to be busy to the point of exhaustion, and then we beat ourselves up for still not doing enough! You deserve to put your relaxation as a priority now and then.

Please, take time to relax. Take time to release the stress. Don't be so hard on yourself. I believe that all of you reading this are doing the best you can, and guess what? That's enough. Never guilt yourself into feeling like you can't take the time you need to exercise, eat a nourishing meal, or get enough sleep. Maybe it's not always realistic, but my challenge for this post is to take at least an hour this weekend to really relax. Sleep in. Take a walk. Listen to some relaxing music and rest your eyes. Do some yoga. Write about a problem you're having or something that is causing you stress.

You deserve to be happy and healthy. You are worth treating yourself well. And remember, everything will work out. I promise it will! So whatever is stressing you, put it down for awhile and remember to relax.